Corsair Carbide Series 300R

Corsair’s Carbide Series 300R targets performance users with twin side and top fan mounts, while a limited number of front-panel connectors help maintain its low price.

300R Front-Panel Connectors

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The 300R’s upper edge front-panel connector provides easy access, regardless of whether you're using the case on or under a desk, though both types of users may find their cables constantly dangling in front of their optical drives. USB 3.0 ports connect to a modern motherboard’s standard 19-pin internal header.

Inside The 300R

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Four 3.5/2.5” internal drive trays and three 5.25” bays are enough to use up the six native SATA ports available from most chipsets, roughly doubling the requirements of most gaming-oriented builds. A space between these bays allows extra-long graphics cards to fit within the first five slots.

Behind The 300R

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A trio of knock-out plugs allow ingress and egress for external liquid coolers and other internally-connected devices. Corsair doesn’t include grommets for these holes, though they may be included in some liquid cooling kits.

300R Cable Management

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Corsair’s Cabide Series 300R provides just enough space behind the motherboard tray to hide the extra length of a 24-pin ATX/EPS power cable. A hole at the top edge of the tray allows eight-pin CPU power cables to be pulled over the top edge of a motherboard, while an even larger hole behind the CPU eases installation of cooler support plates.

Rolled edges on internal cable passages prevent damage without the need for grommets.

300R Intake

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Corsair’s 300R includes a single 140 mm intake and exhaust fans, with the stock intake mounted between the optical drive and hard drive cages. A second 140 mm fan can be added for additional drive cooling.

300R Radiator Support

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A closer look at the Carbide Series 300R’s top panel reveals that the 120 mm fan mounts are spaced for a dual-fan radiator and offset to the outside for extra motherboard clearance. The mesh construction is probably a little too weak to properly support thick radiators, but Corsair’s own H100 is an option.

More airflow can be achieved using two 140 mm fans, though the case doesn’t include any extras.

300R Filtration

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The 300R’s slide-out filter protects hard-to-clean power supplies from sucking up dust.

In Win Mana 136

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In Win’s Mana 136 (listed both with and without a space between Mana and 136) adds style to and ventilation to an otherwise low-cost chassis. Supporting two 120 mm fans on the top and two more on the side, a durable white finish helps set this unit apart from competing models that have similar cooling options.

Mana 136 Ports

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A lone USB 2.0 port sits beside headset jacks and dual USB 3.0 ports at the front panel’s top edge. This allows easy connector access, regardless of whether the case is positioned above or below a desk (even if cables will typically dangle in front of an optical drive).

Inside The Mana 136

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Although it's officially a steel chassis, In Win’s Mana 136 contains the least possible amount of that sturdy metal as possible in an effort to reduce weight (and manufacturing cost). Pressed-in standoffs also reduce cost, as do non-replaceable knock-out slot covers.

Behind The Mana 136

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A single sheet-steel strap is able to secure a full set of cards within the Mana 136, though threaded holes beneath it provide a tighter hold on slot brackets and other wiggly items. We only found one spare screw in the installation kit.

Two knock-out plugs add ingress and egress for external liquid coolers, while an unplugged oval hole between those allows simultaneous cable pass-through.

Mana 136 Cable Management

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A lack of cable management space within the Mana 136 reminds us of why we were so happy when this concession for usability started appearing in competing products long ago. Outward-rolled edges on the motherboard tray prevent all but the thinnest cables from fitting behind the motherboard, and the tray lacks cable access holes.

Mana 136 Backplanes

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Two single-drive backplanes support 3.5” drives directly, since the drive cage itself uses nothing more than specially-shaped screw heads as drive slides. In Win adds eight holes to the Mana 136's bottom panel to support a pair of 2.5” drives.

Mana 136 Filtration

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In Win Style is an added-feature brand, and the Mana 136 shows this with removable dust filters on the intake fan and under the power supply. The case must be flipped on its side to remove the power supply filter, though.

Mana 136 Radiator Support

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Keen observers will notice eight holes that differ slightly from the Mana 136’s remaining top-panel ventilation. These holes support two 120 mm fans, which may also allow the case to support some twin-fan radiators. The mounts are offset to the case’s open side for additional motherboard clearance.

MSI Interceptor Series Stealth

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MSI’s Steath provides more external bays and ports than most of its close competitors, yet without a noticeable increase in size or price. Angular edges add some flair to an otherwise-stealthy design.

Stealth Ports

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Three USB 2.0 and two USB 3.0 ports are angled slightly upward for easier access in floor-standing installations. One of the USB 3.0 ports is colored differently to designate its optional connection to the higher-amperage MSI SuperCharger motherboard port. Other motherboard manufacturers have offered similar technologies, and all of them are based on the same standard USB 3.0 pin header.

Inside The Stealth

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Several blue components stand out against the inside of an otherwise all-black Stealth, which is designed to support four hard drives (3.5” or 2.5”), as well as four optical drives. Two adjustable graphics card support brackets are found between hard drive and optical drive cages.

Behind The Stealth

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The Stealth includes a single 120 mm fan and two grommeted holes on the back panel. Blue mesh slot covers increase ventilation and style.

Stealth Stow

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MSI designed the Stealth’s motherboard tray specifically to ease cable pass-through, though the thickness of this space is barely adequate for a 24-pin power lead. Rolled edges on internal passage holes prevent cable cutting, while rolled edges on the CPU cooler support plate access hole prevent the same type of damage to your hands.

Stealth Intake

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Though its product page lists support only for 120 mm fans, the MSI Stealth’s stock LED-lighted intake is dwarfed by a multi-fit grill with up to 180 mm fan spacing.

Among the case’s more annoying “features” are ports that are mounted directly to the plastic face, rather than the metal panel beneath. A hallmark of low-end competitors, this design detracts from what otherwise appears to be a mainstream product.

Stealth Dust Protection

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MSI’s Stealth has very little dust protection, but the firm does put filters in the most important places. Power supplies are notoriously hard to clean and often die from poor ventilation, so MSI adds a somewhat-cumbersome filter sheet beneath it. The same type of filter is added to the adjacent fan mount.

Stealth Radiator Support

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The Stealth’s top panel supports one large (up to 180 mm) or two 120 mm fans. That dual-fan option should allow some liquid cooling systems to fit above some motherboards. On the other hand, the lack of any offset away from the motherboard tray means that other liquid coolers could run into compatibility issues with other platforms. Clearly, this case is primarily designed for air-cooled configurations.

NZXT Phantom 410

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NZXT presents the most elaborate design of this comparison’s cases, complete with a mildly-controversial inset drive door and a short-but-wide side window. A single fan mount on its left side supports additional graphics card cooling.

Phantom 410 Ports

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Angled top-panel connectors and a drive door that swings to the left suggest that the Phantom 410 is designed to sit on the floor, next to your left leg. Features that then face toward you include a three-speed fan controller, two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, and headset jacks.

Power and reset buttons are subsequently angled away.

Inside The Phantom 410

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Six hard drive trays face away from you after opening the Phantom 410’s left side panel, requiring the right panel to be opened for drive replacement. Four of those bays are easily removable.

Caging A Phantom 410

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Removing the center drive cage allows builders to extend card space by five inches—to 16.8”. An adjustable and separately-removable fan mount on that same cage reduces card length in the top slot by one inch, to 10.8”.

Behind The Phantom 410

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Like many of this round-up’s cases, the NZXT Phantom 410 uses replaceable mesh slot covers and a 120 mm exhaust fan to aid ventilation at the rear panel. The case also supports external liquid coolers, and includes factory-installed grommets on ingress/egress holes.

Phantom 410 Cable Management

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Several holes in the Phantom 410’s motherboard tray support cable pass-through and CPU cooler installation. Grommets on large cable holes add style, as rolled edges on all holes prevent abrasion, even without the grommets.

All six hard drive trays are removed from this side, and all six support both 3.5” and 2.5” drives.

Phantom 410 Intake

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The Phantom 410’s front panel supports two 120 mm fans, but includes only one. A wide spot in the center alternatively allows the installation of a single 140 mm fan.

Phantom 410 Radiator Support

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The Phantom 410 supports up to two 140 mm fans, but extra holes also allow a dual-fan 120 mm radiator to be installed. There’s even enough space above the top panel to mount 120 mm fans there, making extra room for motherboard clearance in this non-offset design.

Xigmatek Midgard II

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Xigmatek designed its Midgard II exclusively for floor placement by putting all of the case’s ports and buttons up top. Two side panel mounts offer alternative cooling paths by supporting both 120 mm and 140 mm fans.

Midgard II Ports

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Xigmatek’s Midgard II supports only a single USB 3.0 device, but adds an SATA-based internal drive docking station with a 2.5”-format drive hole and a 3.5” hard drive-sized hinged flap.

Inside The Midgard II

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The Midgard II supports six hard drives in two cages, with the center cage removable to support cards up to 16.7” long. The bottom two slots are still restricted to 11.9” maximum card length by the bottom drive cage.

Midgard II’s Middle Bays

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All six of Xigmatek’s Midgard II trays support both 3.5” and 2.5” drives, and are removable in the conventional left-hand fashion. The center drive cage slides out, as shown.

Also shown is one of the case’s six removable 5.25” bay latches, which secure both sides of the drives in three external bays.

Behind The Midgard II

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Xigmatek adds two grommets to the Midgard II’s external liquid cooling support holes. A 120 mm rear exhaust fan is also factory-installed, though extra holes give builders a 92 mm option as well.

Midgard II Cable Management

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The Midgard II has just enough space behind the motherboard tray to hide most cables, and the company uses rolled edges on cable access holes to prevent abrasion. A larger hole aids in the installation of CPU cooler support plates.

Midgard II’s Extra Bay

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Xigmatek’s Midgard II appears to have four 5.25” bays with its front panel removed. But underneath that face panel, we find only three. The fourth bay is only half as tall, and supports notebook-style optical drives.

A single 120 mm intake fan pushes fresh air into the case, though a second fan can be added beneath.

Midgard II Radiator Support

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A separate chamber above the motherboard tray supports radiator and fan combinations up to 2” thick. Bolt patterns are included for 140 mm and 120 mm fans, but the total radiator length (including tanks) cannot exceed 280 mm.

Check back in a couple of days when we post our full review of these five enclosures to complement our picture preview!